Gen. Santa Anna emerges victorious All defenders are slain, but not in a battle that most assuredly will before unleashing a withering long be remembered. and deadly rain of fire.

Mike Fisher, a xylographer from the Staff.

By Robert Kolarik march his troops at the Ala- Staff Writer mo compound en masse. One of the dictator’s offi- AN ANTONIO de cers, Col. José Juan Sánchez- BEXAR, Texas, March Navarro, noted: “At five in S6, 1836 — Alas, alas! the morning, the assault was Forever more, the name of made by four columns. ... The the Alamo shall stand along- firing lasted half an hour.” side that of Thermopylae in ————————— the annals of history as a tale A WOMAN’S VIEW l of unmatched bravery to be ot everyone within handed down from genera- its walls when the tion to generation. NAlamo fell this morn- Only the sounds of mournful weeping are heard now at the Immortal The bastion of Texas Lib- ing was a defender. Women Alam0. The fortress’ commander, Lt. Col. William Travis, died atop By Robert Kolarik erty has fallen, and to a man, were there, too. one of the walls at the time of the attack. The exact circumstances Staff Writer Lt. Col. William Travis and One of them is Susanna surrounding the deaths of the legendary David Crockett and Col. his fellow defenders — like Dickinson, now the widow have yet to be determined. AN ANTONIO de the immortal 300 Spartans — of defender Lt. Almeron BEXAR, Texas, March have been martyred. Dickinson. S6, 1836 — Totaling the After withstanding an As the attack started, ————————— her chaste reply. exact number of defenders, unrelenting siege of twelve Mrs. Dickinson and her in- BOWIE KIN The privateers eventually not to mention the attackers, days’ duration by one of the fant daughter, Angelina, took ne woman spared the busied themselves breaking who were sent to meet their mightiest armies ever assem- shelter within a small, dark- horrors of either gun into Mrs. Alsbury’s trunk maker during the attack at the bled on this continent, the ened room inside the mis- Oor blade at the Alamo and helping themselves to Alamo to-day is as difficult walls of the old mission that sion. this morning is Juana Navarro the money and clothing as attempting to pluck with had housed Travis (a man “Under the cover of Alsbury, a cousin by marriage stored therein — along with one’s fingers a dollop of mer- as brave as the fabled King darkness (Gen. Santa Anna’s to the late Col. James Bowie, Bowie’s watch. cury from atop a table. Leonidas), Col. James Bowie, troops) approached the for- onetime co-commander of When the fighting eventu- The dictator himself re- the Hon. David Crockett and tifications, and planting their the fortress. ally eased, the sisters — with ported that “600 corpses of some 200 other defenders scaling ladders against our Mrs. Alsbury had entered young Alejo in tow ­— were foreigners were buried” and were breached before the sun walls just as light was ap- the old mission at the urg- able to make their way to that “we lost about 70 men rose to-day. proaching, they climbed to ing of Bowie and remained their father’s house. killed and 300 wounded, Savagery was unleashed the tops of our walls and- there to care for him after ————————— among whom are 25 officers.” therein as a juggernaut or- jumped down within, many he fell ill. A SERVANT Santa Anna’s own private chestrated by the modern-day of them to immediate death. Although acknowledging pparently, the only secretary, Ramón Martínez Xerxes, Mexican Gen. Anto- ... that she saw little of the adult male who was Caro, listed the number of nio López de Santa Anna, “The struggle lasted more actual fighting, Mrs. Als- Awith the force within martyred defenders as 183, swept over the Alamo. than two hours when my hus- bury recalled that during the the confines of the Alamo to and added that “three hun- ————————— band rushed into the church battle, she peered out from have survived the slaughter dred (attackers) were left dead EARLY START where I was with my child, the room where she and her to-day is a fellow named Joe, on the field.” en. Santa Anna’s at- and exclaimed: ‘Great God, son, Alejo Perez Jr., not yet who was in the Servitude of Santa Anna’s aide-de- tack this morning on Sue, the Mexicans are inside one year in age, along with the late Lt. Col. Travis. camp, Col. Juan Almonte, GFortress Alamo began our walls! All is lost! If they her sister Gertrudis Navarro, Joe reported that his mas- meanwhile, reported: “On the long before the cock crowed, spare you, save my child.’ had sought refuge and saw ter first learned of the attack part of the enemy the result when night was as black as a “Then, with a parting the hordes of attacking sol- when John J. Baugh, the ad- was 250 killed. ... Our loss raven’s heart at midnight. kiss, he drew his sword and diers assaulting the compound jutant of the Alamo garrison, was 60 soldiers and 5 officers Reported one of the at- plunged into the strife, then from every direction. entered Travis’ quarters, cry- killed, and 198 soldiers and 25 tacking soldiers, who did raging in different portions When the roar of the ing: “The Mexicans are com- officers were wounded.” not provide his name, “Af- of the fortifications. fighting grew near her lo- ing!” Francisco Antonio Ruiz, a ter a long wait, we took our “Soon after he left me, cation, Mrs. Alsbury rightly Travis tossed Joe a gun local luminary, reported the places at 3 o’clock A.M., three unarmed gunners who assumed the walls had been and both scurried to the defenders’ losses thusly: “The ... a distance of 300 feet abandoned their then useless breached and the compound top of the wall. There, the men burned numbered 182. I from the fort of the enemy. guns came into the church was being overrun. She asked Alamo commander did pro- was an eye witness, for as Here we remained flat on where I was, and were shot her sister to go to the door claim: “Come on boys, the Alcalde of , I our stomaches until 5:30. ... down by my side. One of and request that the attack- Mexicans are upon us, and was with some of the neigh- We ran to the assault, car- them was from Nacogdoches ers not fire into the room, we’ll give them Hell!” Travis bors collecting the dead bod- rying scaling ladders, picks and named Walker. ... I saw as its occupants were non- opened fire, as did Joe and ies and placing them on the and spikes. ... The fire from four Mexicans toss him up combatants. Señorita Na- their comrades. Their shots funeral pyre.” the enemy’s cannon was fear- in the air — as you would varro opened the door and were returned and Travis fell, The alcalde also partici- ful; we fell back; more than a bundle of fodder — with was greeted by language of mortally wounded. pated in the disposal of the forty men fell around me in their bayonets, and then the vilest sort from marauders With Santa Anna’s troops attackers’ remains. a few moment(s). One can shoot him. At this moment, whose sole intent seemed to topping the rampart, Joe “The dead Mexicans of but admire the stubborn re- a Mexican officer came into be to loot and pillage. sought refuge in a building Santa Anna’s army were taken sistance of our enemy, and the room, and, addressing me Cursing, one of the brig- within the compound, firing to the graveyard, but not hav- the constant bravery of all in English, asked: ‘Are you ands shoved the señorita back several times as the attacking ing sufficient room for them, our troops.” Mrs. Dickinson?’ I answered into the room and her shawl horde swarmed past. Even- I ordered some of them to ————————— ‘Yes.’ Then said he, ‘If you was torn from her shoulders. tually, after the fortress had be thrown in the river, which FOUR COLUMNS wish to save your life, fol- “Your money or your hus- fallen, Joe was taken before was done. ... Santa Anna’s loss n attacking the bastion low me.’ I followed him, and band!” a felonious freebooter Gen. Santa Anna, who de- (was) estimated at 1,600 men. of Texas Liberty to-day, although shot and wounded, demanded. “I have neither cided he should be allowed These were the flower of his IGen. Santa Anna did not was spared.” money nor husband,” was to go free. army.”